CHICAGO (Feb. 12, 2022) – The second game of MIVA play for the Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team kicked off in Gentile Arena as the Ramblers hosted the Lions of Lindenwood University. Following a four-set thriller, the Maroon and Gold were the ones who came out on top, winning three sets to one over the Lions. 

FROM COACH HULSE
"We couldn't be in a better spot starting 2-0 in conference," Hulse said. "We knew this one would be tough, but I think we responded well and came out with a big team win."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
From the start of the match, it was a close battle between these two teams. The Lions grabbed a very small lead early in the first, but it didn't take long for the Ramblers to fight back. With attack and service errors from Lindenwood, Loyola snatched the lead and ran with it to win it 25-22 to start the match. 
 
That didn't sit well with the Lions. The two teams exchanged points throughout most of the second set until the teams were tied at 19. That's when Lindenwood pulled ahead. Although the Ramblers tried to come back, multiple attack errors resulted in a 22-25 loss in the second set, tying the match at one set a piece. 
 
The beginning of the third told a similar story to the other two. Both Lindenwood and Loyola went back and forth with the lead multiple times seeming as though neither team pull ahead. That was until Parker Van Buren went back to the service line. He helped the Ramblers gain a three-point lead halfway through the set, which gave his team a much-needed push. They ultimately closed out the third set 25-17, pushing Loyola ahead of Lindenwood two sets to one. 
 
In the fourth and final set, the Lions wanted vengeance. They took control from the start, gaining a two-point lead early on. Lindenwood hung onto that lead for a good chunk of the set, even having the score at 23-21. After a kill from Henry Payne, the Ramblers were able to start their push for the win with Garrett Zolg at the service line. Although he didn't get any aces, he got the Lions out of system to move his team forward. By the final whistle, Loyola came back plus some, winning this final set 25-23.
 
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

• Leading the offense in this match was none other than redshirt freshman Van Buren. Not only did he lead the team in kills with 20, but he also had a match-high five blocks. 
• Also having a phenomenal night on offense was redshirt sophomore Colton Brooks. The outside hitter hit .588 on the night with 12 kills and only two errors on 17 swings. 
• One other Rambler finished with double-digit kills, and that was Payne. The senior from New York contributed 10 kills to the stat sheet while also leading the team from the service line with three aces. 
• Zolg continues to control the offensive efforts for the Ramblers as he tallied 42 assists on the night. From the back row, he proved to be the biggest asset for the Maroon and Gold as he finished with a match-high nine digs. 
• In the middle, Ben Montplaisir had a big night for Loyola. He added four blocks to the team's impressive front row defense while hitting .429 (3 kills, 0 errors, 7 attempts). 

 
UP NEXT
The Ramblers will head out of Chicago as they play their first conference games on the road. Their first stop will be in Columbus, Ohio, as they take on Ohio State University on Thursday, Feb. 17. First serve will be at 6 p.m. CT with a live stream available on BTN+.
 
Following their time in the Buckeye State, Loyola will make their way to the Crossroads of America to take on Ball State University, who has beaten the likes of Hawaii and BYU throughout the season. They will hit the court in Muncie on Sunday, Feb. 20, with first serve at 2 p.m. CT.